Any People Read anything by Nietzsche?

[RandomRival]

I started reading his literature in 8th grade and I am on his final work, 'The ANTI- CHRIST' and I am now in 10th grade.

I find many of his ideas and views on life and reality being an illusion that the christian church has created to be fascinating.

I was curious if any comrades were fans of such work.

[Gnosis]

I started reading The Birth of Tragedy after an aquaitence suggested that Nietzsche was some sort of genius.
I got about seven pages into it before realizing I couldn't get any thing out of it. I should've kept reading it for the sake of conversations like this one and for the sake of the language I could've aquired, but I had reasons for putting it down.
I guess my main reason for not finishing it was the confusion I sensed in it. Not just my own confusion,which was perfectly evident, but his.
That and I found out quite quickly Nietzsche's view on women, and though I don't remember exactly what he said, it made me sad and since I'm already sensetive about that sort of thing, and since I didn't really care about reading the book in the first place, I never went back.
Could anyone suggest one of Nietzsche's works which might be a good first read?
Something that might give me an idea about his philosophies and opinions and such?
I know he's anti-christian, and I know he thinks femininity is irrational and basically negetive, but what else?
Do you think I should attempt the Birth of Tradgety again? Does it get interesting in the middle or profound toward the end?
thanks

[Jesus Christ!]

I'm hald way throughBeyond Good and Evil. It's confusing but also very interesting to read.

[Decolonize The Left]

I started "the Anti-Christ" but put it down for less dense literature on the same topic. Nietzsche was certainly a great philosopher, but because he was a philospher, his ideas are long and drawn out. I am studying philosophy but find others easier to read and understand. I will return later to the Anti-Christ. But there are many other books denouncing and discounting religion which are much easier to read and understand.

-- August

[Clarksist]

I've never read his books, but I have read many a quote.

He was very quotable.

Some of his ideas I have heard are somewhat "stupid", but not too bad.

I would be interested in reading, if anyone has suggestions.

[Che NJ]

I started reading beyond good and evil a year or two ago, and stopped after the first few chapters. I thought that because of my age or state of mind, I for some reason wasn't wired to fully comprehend his work. I guess now would be a good time to pick the book up again for another try.

[RandomRival]

Twilight Of The Idols is his easiest work to pick up and read.


BTW His view on women? He did not discriminate so what are you talking about?

Keep in mind, he uses sarcasm in alot of his writing and that just adds to his confusion he creates.

[TheReadMenace]

RandomRival, he didn't necessarily discriminate against women, but he didn't really care for them too much. That's kind of the fuel to the fire that people use against him. But you're right, he does use a lot of sarcasm, and much of it is used in his comments about women.

Beyond Good and Evil is a great book, especially if you pick up Walter Kaufman's translation. (He is, in my opinion, the best translator if you're looking into Nietzsche.)

You should also look into The Gay Science (that one's a bit tough, so go to it later), Ecce Homo (it's kind of like a recap of his major works, and the explanation behind them), Will To Power, and Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Personally, I think Zarathustra is his most amazing piece, and you won't lose out by picking that one up.

I love reading Nietzsche. I may not agree with everything his says (read his comments on the role of 'nobility' in Beyond Good and Evil), but his analyses about the illusion of life and morals are amazing, and regardless of you're opinion of his works, he always makes for good discussion.


Andrew

[moskvax]

I have read The Anti-Christ and Beyond Good and Evil, however I want to read through them again so that I can fully understand them, and maybe take a few notes on them this time. Nietzsche definately was a genius in my opinion, and although Walter Kaufmann does a great job translating most of his work, I still feel slightly disappointed not being able to understand the original German. It's true that he does have a negative view on both women and socialism, and parts of his critique on both subjects I couldn't dismiss as just sarcasm, although that could just be me missing the point completely.

I had to laugh at his "lecture to high-school girls", aphorism 234 of Beyond Good and Evil (after 200 or so pages of dense philosophical meanderings, it was refreshing to see him write something so ridiculous :lol:). In Kaufmann's commentary to Beyond Good and Evil he says something along the lines of "if Nietzsche wasn't so confident in his ability to give meaningful criticism on everything then he would have left the subject of women alone".

Aside from his anti-feminism and anti-socialism, two concepts which in my limited reading of him I don't see as central to his philosophy, I believe that he had a lot of good ideas, and his style of writing is unlike any other philosopher I've ever read. My edition of The Anti-Christ said something like: "reading Nietzsche attacking Christianity is like watching a wild animal attack and disembowel its prey" in the preface. :mellow:

[Bannockburn]

Yeah, I've read, Nietzsche, all his works that are easily available. Any questions...come to me. I'm in my 4th year of philosophy, and I've done some courses with Nietzsche, so I know probably a “thing or two” more than the layman.

If you're just starting out with his works. Read Zarathustra first. Its a general introduction to what he thinks, be it his whole philosophy. You then can move on to Beyond good and evil and the genealogy of morals. The first essay in GOM, will certainly open and make more concrete Nietzsche's attempt to find the origins of morals, the etymology of morals, and the relation between slave and master morality. After that you can read Twilight of the Idols, and Human all too human, and the Anti-Christ.

[Roses in the Hospital]

I've started reading Beyond Good and Evil after my form tutor told me Nietzsche 'sorts everything out.' Although I'm finding it hard going, and not seeing an overall argument yet tere are occasional flashes of clarity and genius which make it seem worthwhile...

[Pawn Power]

I am currently very slowly reading The Birth of Tragedy. I don't find it very exciting, however I belive it is not one of his better works.

[Bannockburn]

skip it. you don't need to read it yet. read Zarathustra first. BOT, you can read later when you are more familier with Nietzsche as a whole. Put it this way...its not one of his "essential works".

[gewehr_3]

I never read him i have no idea what he is about please tell me.

[slim]

I have never read Nietzche. I think theres nothing in it!!!

Sorry, childish pun lol.

[Comrade Sean]

Hey slim what is tha HRA?

[TheReadMenace]

Originally posted by [email protected] 28 2005, 07:52 AM
I never read him i have no idea what he is about please tell me.
His works are basically a systematic questioning of everything that society upholds as 'truth.' He seeks to overthrow common notions about philosophical ideas. Reading through his stuff, the common theme is that nothing has any meaning, any purpose, any point, except the 'revaluation of values.' When you topple mainstream ideas and get at 'truth' then you have created meaning in your life.

His work is slightly nihilistic, but it's not as dark and hopeless as some philosophers. (I remember one nihilist philosopher saying that life is a penal colony, and the only way out is suicide.)

I mean, that's in a nutshell, which is something you shouldn't try to put Nietzsche in, but yeah.


Andrew

[Postteen]

I've read Gay Science most of The Antichrist and I'm about to read Beyond Good and Evil.I like Neitzsche for he is so caustic about christianity..I love reading his books and they give me great arguments as well.He's great.

[JuanPabloDuarte]

Originally posted by [email protected] 24 2005, 04:00 AM
I started reading his literature in 8th grade and I am on his final work, 'The ANTI- CHRIST' and I am now in 10th grade.

I find many of his ideas and views on life and reality being an illusion that the christian church has created to be fascinating.

I was curious if any comrades were fans of such work.


Hello: yeah Nietzsche's philosophy is a must need because he writes about how the world works, like Marx he says that the history of the world has been a history of wars, and suffering and that's why he says that we need to become stronger and despise weakness as an ideal. And it's true, we have to be stronger, every day, and every day to overcome daily obstacles in order to achieve a better system, he says we must be destroyers in order to be creators, we have to be active nihilists.

JuanPabloDuarte

[JC1]

Neiztche 's books were crap. they didnt "permit themselves to be read", didnt display any scientific method (Or any method at all) and are of no use to understanding the world, ESPECIALY TO MARXISTS. If you want to read Nilhist philosphers who actualy have method, and intelegence, read Camus. RS2K took down nietzche, this guy is a total non-issue.

[JuanPabloDuarte]

Originally posted by [email protected] 2 2005, 03:34 PM
Neiztche 's books were crap. they didnt "permit themselves to be read", didnt display any scientific method (Or any method at all) and are of no use to understanding the world, ESPECIALY TO MARXISTS. If you want to read Nilhist philosphers who actualy have method, and intelegence, read Camus. RS2K took down nietzche, this guy is a total non-issue.




Rot in hell and keep watching your amerikan crap TV

[JuanPabloDuarte]

Originally posted by [email protected] 24 2005, 04:00 AM
I started reading his literature in 8th grade and I am on his final work, 'The ANTI- CHRIST' and I am now in 10th grade.

I find many of his ideas and views on life and reality being an illusion that the christian church has created to be fascinating.

I was curious if any comrades were fans of such work.


Hey don't listen to the dumb leftists in this forum, they are lowlife unemployed hackers, they get easily annoyed when they see that their measly insults have no effect on us whatseover. They are these losers who have to hide behind the screen because they can't face the real world. That's why i don't talk to a lot of leftists who are unemployed, hackers and losers pissed off at reality. Like anarchists, anarchists wanna change the world by killing people, i don't blame a lot of right wingers for hating garbage-leftists
JuanPabloDuarte

[Iepilei]

Originally posted by [email protected] 2 2005, 03:34 PM
Neiztche 's books were crap. they didnt "permit themselves to be read", didnt display any scientific method (Or any method at all) and are of no use to understanding the world, ESPECIALY TO MARXISTS. If you want to read Nilhist philosphers who actualy have method, and intelegence, read Camus. RS2K took down nietzche, this guy is a total non-issue.
The grand thing about philosophy is the more you read from every side, the more you actually understand. Only reading works in relation to Marx is an easy way to disconnect yourself from the world and the people around you.

:ph34r:

[Erick]

I'm glad, and rather surprised to be perfectly honest, to see such open-mindedness here towards a man who's usually loathed by leftists. This may strike some people as odd, but my turn towards the left [or rather away from the right] has been brought about in large part by pondering many of the things Nietzsche had to say about the utter decadence of bourgeoise civilization - the civilization of hypocritical, self-righteous "last men" who combine a noisy patriotism with shallow religiosity to stamp out any true expression of human freedom and creativity which threatens their ant-like existence.

Nietzsche's main problem with the socialist movement of his day was, in my opinion, tied in with his contempt for the bourgeoise. To put it bluntly, he saw in most socialists of his day the desire, based upon envy and resentment, to become members of "repectable" bourgeoise society! They did NOT attempt to transcend it, but rather attempted to become part of it. This is a debateable point to be sure, but I think one could put forth a plausible argument that this did, in fact, occur; enough of the masses were pulled up into a comfortable, secure, middle-class life that the threat of large-scale revolution was minimized.

[Don't Change Your Name]

I read 2 or 3 of his works and as usual I don't remember almost anything he said.

What I do remember is that out of 10 words he said, 8 didnt make sense, 1 was crap and the other 1 was good and something i'd agree with.